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Court Orders DSS to Allow Legal Access to Nnamdi Kanu Amidst Ongoing Visitation Restrictions
Nnamdi Kanu has been restricted legal access by the Department of State Service, he has been charged for terrorism in the federal high court in Abuja.
Kanu, detained since June 2021 after being repatriated from Kenya, has seen his legal team repeatedly claim that the DSS is intentionally blocking their access to him. This issue led the court on October 17 to warn DSS Director-General Adeola Ajayi, threatening possible jail time if access denial continues. In response, the court ordered Ajayi to explain the ongoing restrictions, which reportedly stem from orders within the SSS hierarchy.
Earlier, Judge Binta Nyako directed on May 20 that Kanu be permitted visitors three times a week—Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays—in a secure, clean room to meet with up to five lawyers for his defense preparation. Recently obtained court documents highlighted that these sessions were to provide ample space for Kanu’s legal team to take necessary notes.
Despite these directives, DSS officials argue that the court order only applies when active trial proceedings are underway, which they claim have been temporarily paused. They cited Kanu’s previous request for Justice Nyako’s recusal as a factor in delaying proceedings, though she has now resumed the case. The DSS, however, maintains that visitation is only warranted once trial proceedings officially resume.
Kanu’s lawyer, Nnaemeka Ejiofor, criticized the DSS’s interpretation as “childish,” emphasizing that the court order remains valid until explicitly overturned. He argued, “An order of the court does not ordinarily expire unless replaced by a subsequent court order.” Ejiofor added that the DSS has no legal basis to restrict access, stating, “Is it when the trial resumes that we begin to prepare Kanu for trial?”
Nigerian news analyst, Mahmud Jega, has shared his opinion on the recent airstrike carried out by the United States in Nigeria, stating that Nigerians should not blame President Bola Tinubu for the incident.
Jega made this statement during a recent interview, where he said he does not believe many people will hold the Tinubu administration responsible, as Donald Trump had issued threats against Nigeria long before Tinubu’s administration.
“No, I don’t think many people will blame the Tinubu administration for what is happening now because President Donald Trump, when he first made the threats, it was clearly not in coordination with the Tinubu administration or the government of Nigeria,” Jega said.
It has been reported that the United States carried out an airstrike targeting ISIS in the northwest region of Nigeria. The order was reportedly given by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS terrorist elements in northwest Nigeria,” Trump said.
He added, “I have previously warned these terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was.”
The Federal Government of Nigeria has officially declared the holiday dates for the festive season.
Thursday, December 25 will be observed as Christmas Day, December 26 as Boxing Day, and Thursday, January 1 as New Year’s Day.
The declaration was made by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Dr. Magdalene Ajani. He also added that Nigerians should celebrate the holidays in faith and pray for the nation.
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